You could be spending three years of your life, working like a dog, come out with a mountain of debt and fail to pass the bar. From what I have read on this forum, even the smallest of fabrications on law app seem to haunt ppl years down the line when it comes to passing the bar. Your situation is obviously much more serious with clear intent so do you want to take on that risk?

OP, judgments of your actions aside, this is probably the most important response to your post. If you even get into law school, you need to contact the ABA and determine whether, in the absence any other kind of misconduct, you will be eligible to sit for the bar.

I agree with this. However, it's not the ABA that nola would need to check with, but the state's governing body that oversees bar admission. (Whether it be the state's highest court or the state bar association, it depends on the state).

I'm a 0L so you can take my comment as you will, but Nola even IF your acceptances still stand I would seriously take some time to contemplate how badly you want to practice law.

You could be spending three years of your life, working like a dog, come out with a mountain of debt and fail to pass the bar. From what I have read on this forum, even the smallest of fabrications on law app seem to haunt ppl years down the line when it comes to passing the bar. Your situation is obviously much more serious with clear intent so do you want to take on that risk?

Good luck. I do hope things work out for you. Even though this is one event and does probably is the tip of the iceberg to the rest of your character, people do make mistakes. As long as you learn from it and take the consequences then all is good.

You're incredibly nice, CSI. I'm not quite sure though why you'd really wish nola luck. Do we really want people like nola in the profession? Let's get beyond the fact that what nola did was incredibly dishonest, unethical, etc... It's just plain horrible judgment. It's a malpractice suit and disbarment just waiting to happen.

So, just looking for some advise from people who have "been there, done that."

I am a 2L at a tier 1, lower 25% of tier 1, law school. My grades my first year were not so hot. But summer grades and last fall, much better. I've hit my groove, feel more comfortable, etc. But I worried about my first year grades, obviously.

Anyway, I have landed a paid internship, but I think the salary is incredibly low. HOWEVER, advancement opportunities are great. So I took it. Only $10 an hour. Personally, though I know it is low, I have a paid internship while many friends are unable to find an internship, period, or only have unpaid, or even worse, are unpaid interns who are nothing more than glorified receptionists. I do legal work, write complaints, etc. So, IS the salary way low? How long should I work before asking for an increase? BTW...I work between 15-20 hours a week, and am free to take a day off if needed for school, etc. so very flexible. And a private firm, if that makes a difference. I feel, from the set-up of the firm and comments he has made that if I continue to do work he likes, it will lead to permanent employment. Additionally, he has firms in many states and wants to expand. So, again if he likes me and I get a job, there are many possibilities in the firm.

Should I just stick it out with a low salary, or go for more? I think low to begin with to see if I was going to be worth it, if you kwim.

Thanks...

A few thoughts. First, congratulations on getting paid work at a firm. Ten bucks an hour is low, but it's still something and I'm sure many of your classmates and other students across this country would kill for it. Times are tough.

As far as getting more money, I don't think that's even a remote possibility for now. You might want to discreetly ask first year associates what you could expect if given an offer for when you graduate.

At the very least you are getting very good experience. If you think you're worth more money, participate in your school OCI your 3L year. Your grades will be better plus you'll have firm experience under your belt.

One last thought, by tier 1 do you mean 1-50 or the rather confusing and new 1-100? If you meant 1-50, I think this just goes to show how tough things are out there.

Attending a provisionally approved school is probably not a good idea. If the school loses its provisional status before you graduate then you can't sit for the bar. See the following case, in which a former law student sued his law school over just this very same situation:

If you can, I'd check OCI (on campus interview) information for the schools you've been accepted to. Just email the schools' career services offices and ask if they'll give a list of firms that come to campus or that they are expecting to come. This will give you a heads up on who employs from those schools. But you should know that only the top 30% or so of your class will have a chance with those employers as most OCIs are prescreened.

My gut feeling is that if you want to do biotech IP in N.Y. or D.C. that none of those schools are going to get your there unless 1. you finish near the top of your class or 2. get into a smaller market (Chicago, Atlanta) and lateral in after a few years. But in order to lateral in you're still going to need to have graduated very high in your class and have worked at a big/prestigious firm in the meantime. I'm afraid there is no easy route for you.

That said, DePaul and Loyola probably have some pretty big firms coming to their OCIs. If you want to eventually do IP in New York, doing IP in Chicago is probably one of your best shots.

Full disclosure: I am from Columbus, I have only visited OSU & Capital. I am not an OSU football fan.

I did not like OSU's facilities. I would say that most of the classrooms looked like they were last updated in 1970. They showed one classroom that looked like it was re-done around 2000 or so. The library seemed nice. The law school also has some ties to a new section of OSU's campus called the Gateway, which was completed around 2004 or so. It is good for entertainment,shopping, dining, and so forth.

OSU has a huge campus with a lot of stuff to do. Also, if you are not sure where you want to practice, OSU is probably your better bet since it is a little more "well known". It is also CHEAP.

Never been to Indy, so I cant give any type of opinion.

1. OSU is not "better known," than IU-B. (That is, you have no way of backing up such an absurd statement).2. IU-B is not in "Indy."

Maybe in the future, Jarfrey, you might not want to spout off about things you don't know anything about. Just a thought.

Hey T-T-T-TOM,

Let me cla-cla-cla-clarify for you:

1. That state to the w-w-w-west of Ohio and to the e-e-e-east of Illinois = Indiana = "Indy"2. You misquoted me. I didn't say "better known".3. There is only one school with nationwide recognition in Indiana, Indy as I prefer to c-c-c-c-call it. That school is NOTRE DAME, not your Indiana-Bloomingdale's or whatever the barely-known city is for the barely-known branch of the barely-known Indiana University (AKA an all-around bottom-feeder when it comes to the bottom-feeding BIG-10, which for whatever reason has 11 schools). 4. OSU is known on a n-n-national level, therefore it is "well known". It is the l-l-l-largest college in the n-n-nation. The pr-pr-professors h-h-have wr-written t-t-t-t-textbooks used in law schools around the n-n-nation.5. Columbus is considered an emerging global city and part of the 15th largest metro-area in the USA. For some reason I couldn't find B-B-Bloomington on a list like that (probably because no one has heard of it).

Anything else you need me to cla-cla-cla-clarify for you T-T-T-TOMMY BOY???

OP: If you were confused in any way by my comments, I do apologize. What I meant to say was that if you go to IN-BLOOM, study real hard, and do not get lost in the cornfields you MIGHT make it out of the Midwest. If you go to OSU, you will have a BETTER chance of leaving the Midwest, in my opinion.

Pretty much everything you said was b-b-bull. Indy is the city, not the state. Ohio State is not better known. IU-B is the main campus, everything else is a "branch." IU-B's professors write t-t-t-textbooks too. And I don't even go to IU-B. I know all of this from not being a complete feminine hygiene product and a quick google search.

I do not understand how with a 161 LSAT I did not get into Franklin Pierce, and with a biomedical M.S. and strong letters...ugh@!

Right now I am trying to figure out which is better in Chicago, DePaul or Loyola and if either would be better for me than Rutgers in Newark, Penn State, or IU-Indy. Since IU-Indy has the higher ranking, it should be the choice, but I think for job prospects in Chicago, DePaul or Loyola is best. I have not been accepted to any Tier 1 schools, at least not yet, and it doesn't look good. I am trying to find out where are the IP firms that specialize in biotech and then see where they tend to recruit from. Any thoughts or opinions about any of the schools mentioned would be most appreciated.

If you want to work in Chicago then it would probably be a huge mistake to go to any of those schools outside of DePaul and Loyola. None of those others will place well in Chicago. Especially in IP (where you'd be looking at a specialty boutique or a bigger law firm).

Here's another question along this line of thought. I'm applying for a 1L summer internship. I have an older LOR from a former boss of mine with whom I've since lost contact. What are your opinions on taking the old LOR, not changing a single word of it (save for the name of the position sought), and sending it off. Please note that I have NOT done this. But I'm contemplating it since it's a great LOR and I don't have contact with the guy anymore.

I think it depends on the context of how you received the letter. If your old boss said, "You did such great work that I'd like to give you a LOR in .pdf format that you can use in the future..." Then it would be acceptable.

This does not sound like your situation. Either contact him and ask permission, or don't use it. Otherwise you're asking for a world of hurt.

I asked my boss to write a letter of rec and he said he would do it. As time progressed, he never did it and went out of town. He told me to write it and he would sign it.

The deadline was approaching so I wrote it and sent it off without having him review it. LSAC contacted him and he said that he would have wrote it but didnt. Now I am under invsetigation. I already have three acceptance letters but I know that the offers will be rescinded when they hear about this.

My options are to appeal via letter or do nothing. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Two points:First, you're an idiot.Second, I don't want you as member of my profession. Lawyers already have a bad name and we don't need people like you making it worse. Seriously, forging a signature on a letter of recommendation? You should never be allowed to practice law.

TTom

Thanks for the name calling and put downs. If you are not going to offer constructive advice, then why bother? You must have nothing better to do.

If you read the rest of the post, you would maybe have a better understanding of why I did what I did. He allows me to sign his name on almost a daily basis so it didn't seem like a big deal to me. I don't need to defend myself by saying that I am not a bad person.

I made a huge mistake, but I suppose that you are exempt from those. I accepted that what I did was wrong and I am trying to fix it.

I reject your comments.

First, my advice was constructive. Maybe not for you, but for the legal profession.

Second, there is NO justification for what you did. None.

Third, you are a bad person. Bad people fake their own LORs and forge people's name. Yep.

Fourth, I have never, ever, made such a "mistake" in my entire life and I am betting that 99% on this board haven't as well.

Fifth, it wasn't a mistake. You knew what you were doing.

Honestly, if I knew who you were I'd contact the schools that admitted you. Be thankful for that.

Thanks again for all of your helpful comments! You dont have to contact the schools because LSAC already has. Have a great evening.

I asked my boss to write a letter of rec and he said he would do it. As time progressed, he never did it and went out of town. He told me to write it and he would sign it.

The deadline was approaching so I wrote it and sent it off without having him review it. LSAC contacted him and he said that he would have wrote it but didnt. Now I am under invsetigation. I already have three acceptance letters but I know that the offers will be rescinded when they hear about this.

My options are to appeal via letter or do nothing. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Two points:First, you're an idiot.Second, I don't want you as member of my profession. Lawyers already have a bad name and we don't need people like you making it worse. Seriously, forging a signature on a letter of recommendation? You should never be allowed to practice law.

TTom

Thanks for the name calling and put downs. If you are not going to offer constructive advice, then why bother? You must have nothing better to do.

If you read the rest of the post, you would maybe have a better understanding of why I did what I did. He allows me to sign his name on almost a daily basis so it didn't seem like a big deal to me. I don't need to defend myself by saying that I am not a bad person.

I made a huge mistake, but I suppose that you are exempt from those. I accepted that what I did was wrong and I am trying to fix it.

I reject your comments.

First, my advice was constructive. Maybe not for you, but for the legal profession.

Second, there is NO justification for what you did. None.

Third, you are a bad person. Bad people fake their own LORs and forge people's name. Yep.

Fourth, I have never, ever, made such a "mistake" in my entire life and I am betting that 99% on this board haven't as well.

Fifth, it wasn't a mistake. You knew what you were doing.

Honestly, if I knew who you were I'd contact the schools that admitted you. Be thankful for that.